1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed generally to a storage box for an item of recorded media and a lock and key combination for the box. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a storage box and lock and key combination suitable for holding an item of recorded media that is commonly repeatedly rented prior to being offered for sale. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a storage box for an item of recorded media that holds the item while it is repeatedly rented and is configured to receive a lock carrying an EAS (electronic article surveillance) tag when the item of recorded media is offered for sale.
2. Background Information
Renting items of recorded media such as video cassettes and video games has become immensely popular in recent times given the ever increasing number of items available for home viewing and use as well as the decrease in price of the machines that play the media. Typical rental stores display the items available for rental in storage boxes that protect the items from dust, ultraviolet light, and damage from impact if accidentally dropped. Stores protect themselves against theft by placing one or more EAS tags on or inside the item of recorded media. An EAS tag is adapted to activate an alarm when passed through a sensing device that may be disposed around the exit of the store. It is generally desirable to place the EAS tags in places where they cannot be easily removed by a shoplifter.
A rental establishment typically places older rental stock out for sale when it no longer needs the item for rental. When items are put out for sale, the EAS tags are removed from the items and reused on items that are being rented. The EAS tags are removed from the items of recorded media prior to sale so that the purchaser will not activate the alarm systems in other stores with the EAS tags. Without the EAS tags in the items themselves, a rental store must protect itself against shoplifting by placing an EAS tag on the storage container holding the item for sale. It is desirable that the EAS tag be placed on the storage container in a way that allows a sales clerk to quickly and easily remove the tag after the sale is made but also in a manner that prevents a shoplifter from easily removing the tag. Placement of the EAS tag in such a position is, however, difficult because a storage container provides few, if any, areas where the EAS tag may be hidden. If the EAS tag is placed on the storage container in a fashion such that it can be easily removed, a shoplifter may simply remove the tag and steal the item without activating the alarm. It is thus desired in the art to provide a storage container suitable for holding and displaying an item of recorded media during display for rental that has locking holes that can later accept a lock containing an EAS tag when the container is used to sell an item.
Such a storage box and lock combination must be configured to prevent the thief from simply breaking the lock off the storage box with a small pry bar. Although the storage box and lock must be relatively strong, the cost of manufacturing the lock and storage box must not be prohibitive. It is thus also desired in the art to provide a relatively inexpensive storage box and lock and key combination that securely locks the storage box while preventing a pry bar from being inserted between the lock and the storage box.